A while ago, I played basketball with my H brothers, Charles, Lau, Sales, Kyle, Joel, King and King's older brother Michael. Grabe, sobrang nakakamiss magbasket, pero mas na miss ko parin yung mga kakaklase ko. (Alam na kung saan yung patutunguhan nito. haha) I also missed the High School covered courts. This was our venue for almost everything: P.E. since first year, assemblies, masses, Sophomore's night, PROM and GRADUATION BALL. (Grabe 'no?)

So after playing and winning the 5 on 5 game against college peeps, we took a water break and also took the time to tell stories about life after High School. Tapos nalaman namin na may mga true blue atenean parin at sa Loyola Schools mag-aaral, may mag Lalasalle (haha), may UE, may UST, may UP. (Ayos! Kitakits sa Uaap. haha)

Tapos biglang napagtripan namin ni Charles na maghiritan gamit yung larong basketball. So gagawin muna namin yung moves sabay may kasamang punch line. Nakakatawa 'to, mga basketBOLERO nga. haha

Top 10 plays of the day

10. Move: Biboy passes the ball to Charles for a game winning three point shot
     Punch line: "I'm always here, willing to ASSISST you!"

9. Move: Biboy keeps on missing the jumpshots
    Punch line:"Kapag titira ako at ikaw ang bola, laging hindi ko i sho shoot, kasi lagi kitang MAMIMISS!"

8. Move: Napag-usapan namin yung tawagan sa baby corn o young corn
    Punch line:"Ang CORNY mo, MAIS!"

7. Move: Biboy's jumpshot taken is an airball
    Punch line: "Lagi namang KAPOS yung mga EFFORT ko sa iyo eh"

6. Move: Biboy takes a bite from Charles' heart shaped donut
    Punch line: "Sige, sakin naman lagi yung TIRA-TIRA niyo eh."

5. Move: Charles shares his heart shaped donut from Cello's
   Punch line: "Sige, lagi niyo namang PINAGPAPASA-PASAHAN yung puso ko eh!"

4. Move: Someone steals Biboy's two basketballs
   Punch line:"Lahat naman INAAGAW niyo sa akin eh!"

3. Move: Biboy shoots the ball and the ball rolls out of the of the ring
    Punch line: "Lagi mo na man akong PINAPA-IKOT eh, bola!"

2. Move: Charles shoots 3 consecutive baskets.
   Punch line: "Ayaw kitang ma MISS!"

1. Move: Charles drives into the lane and gets blocked by someone
    Punch line: "Lagi naman akong REJECTED sa iyo eh!"

Hahaha:)) Gusto ko lang sabihin sa inyo H boys na miss ko kayo! Ulitin natin 'to!

As I wrap up my high school years of gifts, I unwrap yet another gift-my very last one.

The gift holds the record for biggest I’ve received so far. It is wrapped in bright yellow gift wrapper coupled with pink ribbon. I am in doubt whether I should unravel its contents. Bewilderment could grace me with its presence if I ever attempted to do so.

But I paid attention to what the box canopy could signify. Looking at the presentation of the gift gives me thoughts pertaining to hazards, cowardice, and eternal lamentation. On the other hand it could be about happiness, friendship and gratitude based on the pink ribbon hugging it.

Curiosity got the better of me as I unconsciously yet carefully rip apart the pieces that shield the uncovering of the gift.

I looked into the spacious box large and found that it was almost empty. There was dust, darkness, tiny invisible microorganisms that crawl their way out of the box and a small envelope with nothing but the letter H printed on it.

I decided to take a deep breath before opening the envelope and plunging into the waters of no return. I just hope the least I would be dealing with is anthrax. Finding an enclosed red paper cut out of a heart signifying that I myself have none or lack thereof would mean provisions of induced heart attack (Then again I forgot the purpose why I received the heart cut out is that I have none) and countless years of coma.

Slowly, I open the envelope.

Sweat slides down my face as I lift up the note from the envelope. The messages says:

“For all you’ve done”

Seeing this, I was dumbfounded. I slowly turned the note and realized it does not end there.

It continues:

“Thank you!”

I was then that I realized that I opened a gift that I wasn't’t sure if it was intended for me seeing I had no clue from whom it came from or to whom it was addressed.

But I’m sure of one thing.

That is indeed what we say, when we receive a gift.

“Fly high! Blue Eagle fly, and carry our cry across the sky!” (Blue Eagle The King, Manglapus)

 

Man if you were from the Ateneo Grade School you’d remember that this is a part of a song that has been forever ringing your ears.

 

Especially if you’re always running late and trying to out run that 7:15 am bell.

 

I’m already a senior High School studying still in Ateneo running the final lap and probably writing in half of my fellow batchmates, classmates who feel the same way. I’m of course, occasionally bumping into academic obstacles like the theory of truth (true or false), like learning about fallacies and how hard life is now that you’ve learned about them, like the contradiction of learning magnetism because if Physics and I were unlike then attraction should happen not repulsion which is happening right now, and like anyone who’s given up on trying to stumble upon and meet a cosine or pI in this world.

 

But being in Ateneo for twelve long years, it’s only now that I’ve asked myself this question, “Was Ateneo really the best school I could’ve gone to?”

 

Let’s see, what’s so not blue studying in the blue land of the bourgeoisies? You meet a lot of jerks who throw their weight around which gives you the impression that the attention that they’re receiving from their ‘rents at home is not enough. That is, if at least one of their parents is at home at all. Also it’s an exclusive all boys catholic school-no need to explain that. You get to wear this unique uniform; blue polo and khaki pants. And when you see a maintenance man from U-belt, you wouldn’t even tell the difference. I haven’t even started on the huge workload that teachers are giving the students. Any Atenean, at least a senior would agree with me on this: it is impossible for a teacher, with the workload he/she is giving to not think that his/her subject is the only subject his/her students are taking. I think there’s loads of crap still to be said-the kind that should be said in a time capsule and be opened after fifty years to see if anything have changed except for the  increase of tuition fee fifty times.

And let me say this, the academic standing of ateneo couldn’t even compensate for the tuition fee and the work load. How many passed U.P.? A good number? Well let’s see, how many didn’t?

 

All these rantings huh? I’m a fan of a boy, a former “gunslinger” at Hilites who once said,”Gone were the days when an atenean would either be good-looking or intelligent, or a mix of both.”

 

And despite all of this, I’d like to quote a student who probably has his own rage and ranting about the school he went to back then. He was fool enough to say this before actually getting shot at Luneta and sparking a revolution thereafter.

 

He pointed at that school, which was apparently Ateneo and said, “That is where I had spent the best years of my life.”

 

And somehow, I know it just seems to be enough.

 

“We sing our battle song: win or lose, it's the school we choose; this is the place where we belong!” (A Song For Mary)

 

Start:	Feb 9, '08 6:45p
End:	Feb 9, '08 8:00p
Location:	Acropolis Gymnasium

*3rd man on the team to post this

Gabriel Jaarrrrrrrrreee =P

X-factor trigger guys ;)